Sprint pilot Dietrick Takes Merrittville Wild One, Carleton & Webber get the Hat Trick
By Alexis De Wolfe
The Empire Super Sprints made their first appearance of the 2000 season on Saturday night, and they made their presence known as Skoal Inc. and Avondale Food Stores presented a great night of action at Merrittville Speedway. They offered the fans three races, a dash for cash won by Steve Dow (70), a "B" Main won by "Bubby Kerrick"(61) and the feature won by Rob Dietrick (10).
The street stocks took the night off, but the rest of the classes were out in force on Saturday night. Lee Webber (17) made it three in a row by taking the Dwarf feature yet again. Tom Walker (81) made a great showing in the Pro Stock feature, coming away with the checkered. Fred Carleton (96) won yet another Sportsman feature putting him into the lead in sportsman points ahead of Chad Brachmann (3). Fred Cade (12) won the 358 Modified feature after avoiding several wrecks in the race - his second of the young season.
The Dwarf feature was the first of the evening, with Dave Ackler (7x) and Jim Varble (15) starting in the front row. Varble took the early lead, only to be stripped of it be Mike Green (3) on the second lap. The yellow flag flew on lap 3 as Ackler got turned around in turn two and couldn't get clear in time. Green held the lead on the restart, but Lee Webber (17) roared up into second spot. Caution came out again on lap five when Frank Blajzczak (54) got hung up on the rail in turn two. Green managed to hold off Webber on the restart, but on lap 12 as the two cars starting running into lapped traffic, they were side by side.
They stayed that way until they came down for the checkered, and Webber just nosed past Green to take his third feature win in a row. Green took second and was followed by Ray Webber (77), John Wrobel (6) and Chris Rimmen (7).
2000 Rookies Dave Gifford (34c) and Dan Gilbert (400) lined up to take the green flag first. Gilbert jumped to the lead on the first lap as Jeff Dayman (5) started to weave his way up through the pack. Ken Sargent (25) spun Todd Zelichowski (31j) out on lap three, bringing out the first caution, and being sent tail for his troubles. On the restart Gifford got spun around on the front straightaway, taking with him Sean Keus (7s), Tim Zack (15), Roger Chrysler (21), Sargent, Chris Ellis (17) and Bill Bleich (108). The accident left Tom Walker (81) in second behind Gilbert. Walker got the better of Gilbert on the back straightaway, taking the lead. Tim Zack stalled the event again, when he got stuck in the back chute, bringing out the yellow flag for a third time. Walker held the lead on the restart with Gilbert and Darren Kish (99) behind him. Kish moved up to sit on Gilbert's back bumper and got the better of him on lap nine.
Walker held the lead for the checkered and was followed around by Kish, Gilbert, Don Spiece (88) and Dayman.
The Sprints were up next with their dash for cash and "B" main.
Steve Dow (70) walked away $100 richer in the dash for cash while "Bubby" Kerrick (61, Scott Holcomb (91), Joe Timerson (81a) and Dick Spadaro (29) earned berths in the Sprint Feature.
Brad Rouse (18r) and Gary Kruchka (21) started the sportsman feature in the first row. The sportsman made it two weeks in a row with a caution on each of the first three laps of the race. John McKenney (19) and Tim Lipsitt (29) got together on the first lap, bringing out the first caution. Once the cars were underway again someone clipped the cone on the front straightaway, bringing out yet another caution. The yellow flag flew the third time as Randy Chrysler (21k) and Dean Hoffman (19j) got together in turn one. Pete Cosco (17c) and Ken Walsh (silver7) sat in the front row for the restart. Cosco took the lead as Fred Carleton (96) moved up to second spot on the fourth lap. The yellow came out again as Boyd MacTavish (7m) spins out in turn three. Carleton and Cosco battled for the top spot on the restart, Cosco managed to hold Carleton off until lap seven, when Carleton blew past him and never looked back. Chad Brachmann (3) started making his way up through the pack and came up behind Cosco. Brachmann went high and low to try and get around Cosco, but he finally managed to get around him on lap 16.
Carleton held it together to take the win followed by Brachman, Cosco, Rouse and Joe Meisel (15j) back in fifth spot.
Andy Green (24) and Harry Sittler (37) started the modified feature in the front row. Green quickly fell back as Rich Vinson (93) powered his way into the lead on the third lap. Fred Cade (12) moved up into third place behind Sittler on the same lap. The yellow flag came out on lap seven as Billy Krull (z1) and Scott Wood (38) got together in turn four, but they all got moving under their own power and got ready for the restart. Ken Cosgrove (9) started making his move up through the middle of the pack, forcing cars to go three wide into the turns. Wood brought out a second caution on lap 11, when he was pointing the wrong way in turn four. On the restart Doug Swinson (5) got spun out on the front straightaway bringing out the yellow again. On lucky lap number 13 Cade managed to squeeze up into the top spot. The yellow was out on the track on lap 19 as Corey Gruhl (35c) was facing the wrong way on turn two. Jim Begolo (16) managed to get up to fourth spot on lap nineteen, but caution came out again as Swinson rolled over on the back straightaway. He was able to get the car moving on his own and took it to the pits to put it on the trailer. Pete Bicknell (42) managed to move up into fifth spot on lap 24, while Cosgrove made a move on Vinson to take second spot.
Cade held onto the checkered and was followed in by Cosgrove, Bicknell, Vinson and Begolo.
Steve Dow (70) and Alain Bergeron (8b) started the 20 lap Sprint feature in the front row. Steve Dow took the lead followed by Bergeron, Rob Dietrick (10) and Kris Dow (80). As the cars went around turn two they got shuffled and ended up stacking five cars together bringing out the red flag. No one was injured, but there was a lot of damage to the cars involved. On the restart Kris Dow moved up to third spot but Steve Dow and Dietrick were well ahead. On lap seven the sprints played bumper cars coming out of turn four bringing out the caution, before an accident could happen. Dietrick moved up into the top spot on the seventh lap as Dick "Crash" Nash (48) stayed true to his name and he and Randy Years (2) got together. Years rolled over on the front straightaway and came to rest with his rear tires up on the retaining wall.
After some manhandling they managed to get him off the wall and clear of the track to go back racing. Caution came out yet again on lap nine was two cars get together sending Mike Wooding (19) barrel rolling down the infield. He was able to get out of his car unassisted though and watched his mangled car being towed to the pits. Bobby Podalak (7) broke into the top five on the restart, jumping into second place behind Dietrick, but he was unable to wrestle the top spot from him.
The checkered came down on Dietrick, followed by Podalak, Lance Yonge (5), Steve and Kris Dow respectively.
Join us again next week when the Pen Centre presents Father's Day Fandemonium by Ed Learn Ford's Fast Lane, 610 CKTB & Raceline Radio, featuring a full card and Sky Lungston's Motorcycle Thrill Show. Gates will open at 5:30 with the first race at 7:30. For further information call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com.